Q. On Jan. 18, there was question about which is primary between these two programs, and the answer ended with “whether you keep both [Federal Employees Health Benefits] and Tricare is something you’ll have to decide.” How do you decide? Where can I find a clear, side-by-side comparison of my FEHB (BC/BS standard in my case) and Tricare for Life — one that is not comparing apples to oranges? I have been told I don’t really need FEHB because TFL is “very comprehensive,” but how can I find out exactly what, if anything, FEHB would cover that TFL wouldn’t. P.S. I’m in excellent health and am also covered by Medicare Parts A and B.
A. Unfortunately, no one has made such a comparison, nor is it likely that anyone will. While Tricare and Medicare A and B are monolithic, with their benefits spelled out in detail, there are around 200 plans in the FEHB program. And what they cover varies, not only in the services covered but in the level of reimbursement, co-payments and deductibles. If you want to make such a comparison, you can do so by carefully reviewing what your own FEHB plan provides with what Tricare does.
In closing, you mentioned that others have told you that you don’t need the FEHB coverage because Tricare is very comprehensive. While I don’t know if that’s true, I’ve been told the same by other former members of the military who made the decision to suspend their FEHB coverage and were happy with the decision. Whether you’d be happy if you did the same is something I can’t predict.
